


Sirius Sets In Your Eyes

by Ahhuya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Flashbacks, Knight Shiro (Voltron), M/M, The marmora are spies migrating across the kingdoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 17:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19728763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahhuya/pseuds/Ahhuya
Summary: “There’s a demon in the woods”, Sanda warned him when she threw the mission at his table. Parchment covered in red, either ink stains or blood. Neither are a good sign, but still he wished for the ink. Now he guesses blood is the more likely option. The grass leading to this spot had been covered in it, and by the looks of it, it was the blood of running away. He doesn’t want to know how much more will be behind the dark trees.Shiro, a young knight from Garrison has been set out to deal with the demons travelling across the border. But Shiro knows better than to believe in demons. The man travelling from Galra to the far edges of Garrison is one he used to know and wishes to know better. A friend of the past who Shiro has let go too many times by now.





	Sirius Sets In Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Khellamendra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khellamendra/gifts).



> Here's my piece for the Sheith flower exchange. Though I wanted to do a Monsters and Mana story at first, it didn't work out the way I wanted to. So instead I settled on a more Fantasy/Medieval AU.  
> And a thank you to Hadar for beta'ing this fic for me <3

Ferns stick out above the grass. In summer, their flowers stand high with red, like the spears of those slaughtered in the battlefield, or lost in an ambush. A soft breeze lets them dance, but blood never falls. They’re only flowers, bright and large, but harmless. But even in winter, without the red of blood, the sense of slaughter is still present.

The rustle of bushes surrounding the clearing carries more danger within. The warning about the woods is still fresh in Shiro’s mind. He has no other reason for his kingdom to be here, except to deal with the dangers. He has heard the stories of high knights killing boars in the wild, saving small villages, but it is no boar hiding in the shadows here. He can hear the sound of two sets of steps, divided over six feet trotting across dead leaves. They’re soft, almost no difference between an animal and a human.

Shiro knows he should reach for his sword, arm himself against the danger that has diminished their numbers by many. He should, but he can’t. He can already guess what is out on the other side, and if it turns out to be death, he might as well embrace it. At least the back of his mind has settled on an old memory, of old friends and young wolves playing in the dirt at the edge of the forest. Memories of a past long lost.

“There’s a demon in the woods”, Sanda warned him when she threw the mission at his table. Parchment covered in red, either ink stains or blood. Neither are a good sign, but still he wished for the ink. Now he guesses blood is the more likely option. The grass leading to this spot had been covered in it, and by the looks of it, it was the blood of running away. He doesn’t want to know how much more will be behind the dark trees.

The footsteps come to a halt. The set of two disappears first, followed by the one of four. There is no time to let his mind wander around the forest. In the split second it takes to notice the footsteps again, a knife is already pressed against his throat. Death’s eyes are purple, the most beautiful shade Shiro has seen. His hellhound is a flash of blue in the dark. It has grown since the last time Shiro saw it, no longer a small puppy from lands Shiro has never been to.

“I thought it’d be you,” Shiro sighs. The wolf stops growling almost immediately, wagging its tail instead.

“If it wasn’t, you’d be dead by now,” The knife lowers, but the eyes keep watching him.

“I thought I told you last time not to come through here, Keith. It’s too guarded for you.”

“If it’d be too guarded, you wouldn’t need to be here.” Keith tucks the knife behind his back. It’s enough sign for the wolf to let the last of his offensive state fall and come closer. Shiro doesn’t have to crouch to pet its fur. Just holding his arm down is enough to feel the warmth against his skin.

“You should have told me it was time to go out again.”

“Then you should have tracked the stars better.” Keith throws back at him. He should have, Shiro knows that. He used to do it. Keep track of Sirius from the moment it disappeared from the sky until it would rise again. On the night of its new appearance, the Marmora set out again. Following Sirius through the sky to meet for the winter, before scattering again over the duration of spring and summer. He knows he should have kept track, but after missing the Marmora track for years in a row, he’s forgotten.

Now, his past is back to haunt him, walking past him in a trail of death and decay. For moving in the shadows of night, the deaths are the one thing telling the world of their existence. A trail of blood follows the river, making it too dangerous for any inexperienced traveler in the first week of the migration. But this year, it’s not the river that houses danger, and with Keith standing in front of him, there’s no doubt the other Marmora will stray from their usual path as well.

He doesn’t need to ask why Keith’s there. The look in those purple eyes says enough. They’ve been hunted, forced to leave the usual tracks behind, with all consequences the other people suffer in return. But even seeing how much it must hurt, he can’t get himself to ask  _ who  _ or  _ what  _ is after them.

The wolf licks his fingers in the silence.

“Where will you go?” Shiro asks.

Keith shrugs, and looks at the sky. Night is setting in, but through the thick leaves of surrounding trees, Sirius can’t be seen.

“Where we always go,” He sighs. “The others should still be on their way.”

_ Is it safe?  _ Shiro wants to ask, but doesn’t. “Are you alone?” he asks instead.

“I have this guy.” Keith points at his wolf, but they both know that doesn’t count. In an ambush, the wolf can only do so much. And the protection his fellow Marmora could give is one no wolf can provide. Not even a giant one.

“Is all this knowledge really important enough to do this on your own?” Shiro asks.

“It’s important enough to ensure your kingdom won’t fall to tyranny for another year. If we’re not counting Sanda.”

“She’s no tyrant.” Shiro corrects him.

“Then ask Regris the next time you see him.” Keith says, closing the conversation with a snap.

Shiro doesn’t ask more questions. He has learned not to ask when it comes to Keith and his job.

“I should go again, before I lose too much of the night.” Keith sighs. He looks up at the sky, where the moon is still rising to her highest spot.

“Then I’ll join you.” Shiro says.

Keith frowns. “Since when do  _ you _ care about the migration? Last time we met, you rushed back to Sanda without even trying to follow.”

“Then it’ll be different now. I’m not letting you travel on your own.” Shiro takes off his cloak and holds it out before the wolf. After a few sniffs the animal sets its teeth in the fabric, tearing it apart. “If Sanda sends someone after us, they’ll think I’m dead. Say that having one arm got the better of me in the end.”

“I can’t shake you off this time, can I?” Keith sighs. He brushes his hair away from his face, tucking loose strands behind his ear without much success. The movement brings a scar to light, long but clean all over his right cheek. It wasn’t there last time.

“I don’t think I ever had much of a home to go back to anyways since you left.” Shiro grins.

“We should find something to kill first then. No one will believe the great Shirogane is dead without the blood to prove it.”Keith smiles back.

**…**

After an hour of walking, they find a deer drinking by the river. The shreds of Shiro’s jacket, combined with the deer’s blood, are left at the banks. They’ll say he’s been taken the monsters of the water, his body dumped somewhere outside Garrison’s borders after the vicious attack.

After that, they walk. The Marmora won’t find each other until they’ve all crossed the forests and made it to the rough mountainsides. Shiro has never made the journey before, but he knows it isn’t an easy one. The first time he met Keith on the journey, the boy was exhausted from the long walk. He had been with Regris then, but separated on the way. It took three days for the two Marmora to find each other again. Once separated, they don’t wait. Shiro has learned that during those long nights. Night is the best time to travel, hidden in the shadows they’re one with.

But Keith doesn’t look like he’s been separated from his partner again. He’s too calm for that, too hesitant to talk about Regris. His wolf looks around the woods for danger, but seems to find none. The edges of Garrison are less guarded in winter. No one but the Marmora dare to cross the dangerous rivers and treacherous woods.

Keith slowly jumps around the wet rocks, his sandals catching on as if they’re dry ground. Shiro tries to follow, but ends up with his feet in the cold water after a few minutes. The soft sound of his wet footsteps follows him from besides the shore. Keith only stops for him a few times, making sure Shiro is still there. Despite living with the Marmora for so long, it seems Keith’s mind isn’t fully set to their standards. There’s concern in his eyes every time Shiro’s footsteps get muted by surrounding trees. In the end, he steps away from the river and walks by Shiro’s side instead.

The wolf trots ahead, nose down to track old scents. Together, they track down the river until the rocks at the banks become too rough to stay near the river without getting wet feet.

“We should probably go back to the water again.” Keith frowns as he watches the river split away from them. “But your feet would freeze off.”

“It’s fine if you have to leave me here,” Shiro smiles, “it’s more important for you to get back to your clan.” Even if he doesn’t want to let Keith get away another time.

“But you’ve given up everything to walk this far with me.” Keith sighs, his hand falling down to let it run across the wolf’s nose. “And what we found might benefit you too.”

“You won’t make it in time if we keep going this way.”

“We’ll find a way. I’m not losing you again.” The word  _ again  _ keeps repeating itself in the eerie silence of the woods. Shiro can only nod in response.

Instead of traveling on, they decide to rest for a moment. They build a camp near the water, to make sure they won’t lose their way just yet. Fish cooks on top of their campfire. Shiro is convinced Keith wants to keep walking, but delays his journey only for their day cycles to match from now on. Keith offers to take watch, saying that the wolf will take over once he grows tired. Shiro wants to protest, but the trip has taken more of his energy than originally planned. How Keith had done this for years still remains a mystery. When Shiro’s head hits the makeshift pillow, he’s out.

**...**

He dreams of Keith. In the dark of a forest far in the past, a knife is held against his throat. 

“I need your help.” The boy, a kid no older than ten years old, tells him. The determination in his eyes is all the proof the young Shiro needs to know that he’s not afraid to use the knife. “I need a place to stay.”

“You can stay with me.” Shiro tells him, because saying no isn’t an option here. Still, Shiro wouldn’t say no either way, because something tells him the boy is special. The boy follows him back to the town. There, he stays with Shiro. The kid’s name is Keith, a child of the shadows, travelling until his mother will come for him.

Keith stays longer than originally planned. A week becomes a month, and before Shiro knows it, Keith is there for a full year, followed by another. The child grows up, before eventually he’s old enough to move out of Shiro’s shared home.

“I’m leaving.” Keith tells him when his fourteenth birthday comes around.

“Do you have a place to stay?” Shiro asks.

“My mom will be here soon to take me. But I’ll be back.” Keith looks up at the dark night sky, where the stars of winter call for him.

“Be safe, Keith.” Shiro tells him. The next morning, Keith is gone.

**…**

Shiro wakes up to Keith preparing breakfast. It’s morning, or perhaps an early afternoon. It’s hard to tell with the trees keeping the sun from view. Keith looks like he hasn’t slept, but any progress they’ve lost last night will have to be made up for in the sunlight.

They decide to walk through the river for as long as they can. They follow it until the river dries up to a small stream. The sun is still up when they make it to the meeting spot before the mountains, or whatever should be there. The spot is empty, surrounded by pines on each side. They must be the first to arrive, Shiro guesses.

“Where are the others?” Shiro asks.

“They’ll be here tonight. No one camps out in the open, we might have walked past some people just earlier.” Keith tells him.

Shiro nods and walks to a tree on the side.

“They’re trees of life,” Keith smiles as he sees Shiro look around the place, his hand running across the bark. “The first secret we passed on to the kingdoms. These trees cured illness across the lands, they’re much like a symbol now. Garrison never even knew they grow here until we told them.”

“They’re pretty.”

“They’re home.” Keith nods.

Shiro agrees, but the sight of the trees doesn’t cure the exhaustion running in his bones.

“You should rest, Shiro.” Keith says. “Once the others wake up, we won’t sleep until sunrise again.”

The sun is still high in the sky. It won’t be dark for hours and Shiro must admit he’s more exhausted than he should after the last full night of sleep. Keith smiles and watches Shiro settle down underneath the pines. He sleeps easier than ever with Keith watching over him.

**...**

This time, he dreams of a night forgotten by time. He remembers bits and pieces of the events going on that particular night, playing at a village at the edge of Garrison territory. The moon is high when there’s a knock on their door. His grandfather doesn’t wake, but since Shiro sleeps downstairs, he is the one to open the door. In the pouring rain, a boy in a cloak waits for the answering call.

“I’m leaving tonight.” Keith whispers.

“Where will you go?” Shiro frowns, but Keith shakes his head.

“I will figure it out eventually. There’s a meeting of my mother’s clan coming up, and I’m finally old enough to travel on my own.”

“Will you be back?”

Keith casts his eyes to the ground. “I don’t know. It depends on what they want me to do.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll come back, Shiro. I promise.”

It is that night that Keith never sets another foot in Kerberos again. When he does, the village has been burned down to the ground by an attack from Galra.

**…**

Shiro wakes up to a man looking at him. Within seconds, Shiro sits up and crawls with his back against the tree he fell asleep against.

“He seems to be awake.” The man frowns. In his hand he holds a knife, losely without a danger for an immediate attack. The knife is no match for Keith however, who pushes the man away from Shiro.

“Good evening,” Keith smiles, and for a moment, Shiro forgets where he is. Then he sees the others. People clad in black, stepping out of the shadows, bathing in the light of the moon and stars. 

“Good evening.” Shiro sighs as he stands up. He’s more awake than he has been in days. This is what they travelled for, what Keith lives to do. They’re Marmora, gathering around small fires in the dark. 

One man steps forward, and lowers his hood. A braid is wrapped around his neck, a scar runs across his eye. Their leader, Shiro guesses by the way the others take a step back when he approaches.

“Keith,” The leader says when Keith leads Shiro into the circle of Marmora, “who is he? Where is Regris?”

“Regris is dead.” Keith tells him. “Shiro is an old friend, I trust him.”

The man gives Shiro another look before he nods softly. “The loss of Regris is sad, but he knew the risks. We all do. But why bring a man from Garrison here, after he’s taken everything from you.”

“He didn’t take anything. I was the one who left him.”

**…**

Shiro sits at the back of the camp while the others talk. He watches them walk around, exchange their findings from the past year. At the same time, he can see them get closer, wrap an arm around each other as they talk in the moonlight. They’re a family, the family Shiro never knew about.

It’s been years since Shiro could share in that. His grandfather never got out of the burning house. Perhaps it was for the better, the slaughter at the town square a horrible sight. It might not be much better for Keith, who only gets to see his family one week every year, and even then doesn’t know if they’ll all be there.

When most of the information for the night has been shared, Keith looks at Shiro again. He motions him to come closer and Shiro complies. 

“I never introduced you to the others,” Keith says, “this is Kolivan, our leader, Ulaz our medical expert, Antok our warrior, and Krolia my mom.” Shiro looks up at the woman Keith introduces as his mother. She looks like him, almost identical except for her hair color and height. 

“We lost Thace to a Galra ambush in the early spring,” Ulaz sighs, “He would have loved to meet one of Keith’s friends.”

“Especially the only friend he could get from this.” Antok adds, and for a moment Shiro wonders if the man is truly as serious as he look. But with one look at the man’s face, it’s clear the statement is said with no extra intention than to deliver a truth. It’s nothing but a family discussion, intertwined with the serious undertone of a war meeting.

When the sun starts to rise, each Marmora retreats to the shadows of the forest. Hiding in the shadow, they go to sleep for the few hours that the sun is up. Keith settles underneath a pine at the edge of the camp. No one worries about any wildlife. Even the wolf falls asleep within seconds. It takes Shiro longer, the sun keeping him awake. Once it settles behind the trees and shadows take over, he can let himself take a nap.

**...**

The nap becomes a deep sleep, taking him back to another memory. Shiro has been with Garrison for a year when he’s sent out to the borders of the capital’s territory. A demon runs through the forest, Iverson tells him. Travelers find dead animals at the edges of the roads. Some say the river has turned red in the passing of night. Wet footprints of claws go against the stream. There’s only one, Shiro is told. Though near the border of Altea, there have been sightings of two. It’s spring when he hears the rustling of trees, leading up to a field of red flowers. The bloody spears of nature, standing out above a field of slaughter. Flowers brush against a man’s hand as he stands in the middle of the field. His hair is longer than Shiro remembers it, but he knows this person.

“Keith?” Shiro asks, hoping his guess is correct.

“Shiro?” Keith looks up. He’s grown up. He’s clad in dark black robes, mixing in with the shadows of the night. Behind him, hidden in grass, walks a puppy, a wolf.

“I went back to the village.” Keith says, frowning, "You weren’t there anymore. No one was.”

“We got attacked.,” Shiro sighs. “I was lucky to make it out alive with only losing an arm.” He points at his right arm, where nothing but a stump remains. Keith takes a step forward, tracing the stump carefully, as if the rest of Shiro’s body will disappear along with it.

“I shouldn’t have left.” He whispers.

“There is nothing you could have done. If anything, I’m glad you weren’t there to see it.” He doesn’t need to ask where Keith was during the raid. He’s been trained, muscle impossible to hide even underneath his cloak.

“But I should have tried.” Keith sighs, “I should make sure it never happens again.” He speaks the last part in a new determination.

“Are you alone?” Shiro asks.

Keith shakes his head, “Regris should be around somewhere. He went ahead after we got chased. I’ll find him soon. What about you?”

“I’m with Garrison's troops now,” Shiro smiles, “they had a spot left for a disabled soldier.” He doesn’t mind the pity, if anything the scars a permanent reminder of his lost home.

“This is my fault.” Keith whispers as he grip on the arm tightens.

“You couldn’t help the attack from Galra.” Shiro ensures him, but Keith doesn’t seem to buy it.

“I don’t want to lose sight of you again. Maybe you should-” The sound of a horn in the distance interrupts Keith. The Garrison troops are coming close, following Shiro’s footsteps closely.

“I must go,” Shiro says, “if Sanda finds me here with you, she’ll kill you.”

Keith frowns. He looks around the woods behind them before nodding softly.

“Will I see you again?” Shiro asks.

“Just track Sirius when it rises,” Keith smiles before he disappears in the woods again, “you can find me there.”

**...**

Shiro wakes up again under the sight of Sirius high in the sky. Partially hidden behind the pines, the moon casts a soft light on their surroundings. The camp is lively, woken up by the rise of the moon and stars. 

They spend the full week planning and exchanging information. On the fifth day, Shiro is accepted enough to share his own knowledge about Garrison. It’s border control and army structures are laid out on the forest floor.

“We should have had you here sooner,” Keith smiles, “we might still have had Regris that way.”

But they already lost him. There’s no way to get Regris back from the depths of Sanda’s dungeons. No one ever comes out, not even a trained spy. He’s seen too many go down before. There isn’t anything he can do about it, except to share whatever he knows now.

When the week is over, the camp slowly disbands again. By the time Sirius sets they’ll all have found their respective spots across the kingdoms again. 

“Where will you go?” Shiro asks Keith as they pack the last of their belongings. 

“Back to Galra. There’s a lot we have to find still.” Keith says. “But what about you?”

“I was hoping to come with you. Garrison thinks I’m dead, and I’m sure Galra is beautiful this time of year.”

Keith stifles a laugh. “It gives a better view of Sirius than Garrison’s forests ever did.”

“We should enjoy the months we have with it then.” Shiro smiles.

Keith pokes him in the side. “It’s not a holiday, it’s war.”And sure it is, but any trip with Keith is still a holiday on its own. With a black cloak around his shoulders, Shiro steps into a new life, building onto what once was lost.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe I'll write a second part for this, but right now this is all I could write before the deadline :')
> 
> Come talk to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Ahhuya)


End file.
